Operation REASSURANCE - Return to the Country Completed for Valcartier Troops Deployed to Europe

VALCARTIER, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Feb. 24, 2016) -

A second group of military members from Valcartier returned to the country yesterday evening at the end of a six-month deployment to Central and Eastern Europe as part of the fourth rotation of Operation REASSURANCE. Coming primarily from 3rd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, this group of about 55 soldiers joins the group that returned on an earlier flight on 12 February.

Quick Facts

• Operation REASSURANCE demonstrates Canada's unshakeable commitment to its allies in Central and Eastern Europe. The operation refers to the activities undertaken by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in support of NATO assurance measures, including military capabilities for training, exercises, demonstrations and assigned NATO tasks.
• During the fourth rotation of Operation REASSURANCE, the soldiers participated in various training activities - notably Exercise SILVER ARROW, in Lithuania, and Exercise MAPLE DETACHMENT, in Poland - to develop and enhance interoperability, readiness, joint operations capabilities and multinational responses to potential crises.
• The Canadian Army benefits from these training opportunities in Europe, which help our military members improve interoperability with their NATO Allies, showcase their capabilities and demonstrate once again their leadership abilities.
• CAF members have been in Central and Eastern Europe since May of 2014, taking part in collective training exercises and in partnership commitments with our allies.

Quotations

"Over the past several months, the soldiers from Valcartier who have returned once again proved to their allies, who are their colleagues, that they are highly professional. The joint training exercises such as those that they performed in Europe perpetuate the excellent reputation of Canadian soldiers internationally, which, in my opinion, is very much deserved."

Colonel Michel-Henri St-Louis, Commander of 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group

"Over the past seven months, our courageous military members in the Land Task Force OP REASSURANCE proudly represented the Canadian Armed Forces during numerous exercises in Eastern Europe. It is with a sense of accomplishment that we are returning to Canada to be reunited with our families and to share the unique experience that we have had."

Major Simon Côté, Commander of the Land Task Force, OP REASSURANCE, ROTO 4

Related links

• Information concerning Operation REASSURANCE: www.forces.gc.ca/en/operations-abroad/nato-ee.page
• Photos of Operation REASSURANCE: www.forcesimages.ca